


Plane and Simple

by connorstoll (quietrook)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-11
Updated: 2015-01-11
Packaged: 2018-03-07 04:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3161420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietrook/pseuds/connorstoll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason and Octavian have been dating a while, and Octavian's about to meet Thalia for the first time. And no, of course he isn't nervous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Plane and Simple

**Author's Note:**

> If you'll excuse the bad pun... I don't intend on this being very long, but I'm taking forever to write it so part of it here you go

“Octavian, stop fidgeting.”

“I wasn’t -- oh, never mind.” Octavian had, in fact, been fidgeting; he had been picking at his nails. It was a bad habit and not something someone like him should have fallen into, but he couldn’t help it. He always picked at his cuticles when he was nervous.

And, yes, he was nervous. Of course he was. He certainly wasn’t going to tell Jason that, but he felt some small feeling of tribulation bubbling in the pit of his stomach, like he’d eaten something really spicy, and his knees were shaking.

Okay, to be fair, his knees were almost always shaking or his hands trembling (the perks of being an irresponsible diabetic) but this time he knew it wasn’t because of an insulin problem. What it was was him, in this crowded airport, waiting with his hands shoved in his pockets so he wouldn’t pick anymore while Jason was almost humming with energy. Octavian tried not to think about the sign, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t believe Jason actually brought a sign. Like anyone could miss him in a crowd, all six foot four and shock of blonde hair.

“The plane is late,” he muttered into the collar of his coat. “If it’s not here soon, I’m going back to wait in the car.” 

“Oh, wait, there it is!” Jason tucked the sign under one arm and pointed to the wall of windows. “At least, I think it is. Can you hear the flight number?” He cocked his head to the side, trying to listen over the crowd.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” Octavian scoffed, but he agreed to wait at least until the plane landed -- on one condition. Jason had to lose the ludicrous sign.

Oh, he pouted his patented pout, but he eventually gave in and went back to the car to drop off the sign. Octavian shifted his weight as he waited alone, a smug sense of accomplishment circling his head like a halo. He always won, eventually. At least, that’s what he figured until a thought struck him like a lightning bolt.

What was he going to do if Jason’s sister showed up now? Yes, he had an idea of what she looked like - he had seen pictures - but he did not want to meet her, for the first time, alone. He subconsciously started picking at his nails again, only barely registering the pain. Why did he have to send Jason back to the car? Was the sign really that bad?

Well, yes. The sign was horrid, but was it worse than this? Octavian felt like he could puke and tried to rationalize that it was because the only thing he’d eaten all day was half of a grapefruit, but that didn’t explain his dry throat and his clammy hands and -- oh, no, not again! He shoved his hands back into his pockets and scowled to himself. Idiot.

That was the moment he spotted, at the top of the escalator, Jason’s sister. She was talking animatedly to an olive-toned girl next to her, and they were holding hands.

That didn’t really register to him; what he took in was that he was here, alone, and there was Thalia, and he did the only thing his fight or flight mind could handle - he ducked behind a wall. He watched from behind his barrier as they reached the floor and began looking around. No doubt they were looking for Jason; a pang of guilt hit Octavian and he was compelled by his insurmountable sense of duty to go help them. As he began to approach, they turned and walked in the other direction. 

Octavian would never use the word panicky to describe how he felt, but it was nonetheless true. His hands were sweaty and his heart was pounding and his chest felt tight. He mentally berated himself for being pathetic. He hadn’t want to do this in the first place, let alone without Jason, but he couldn’t just let them wander around and get lost. Swallowing his reservations, he set off after them.

He could hear snatches of their conversation, but the words were meaningless to him; he was preoccupied with trying to figure out what he was going to say to them. Normally, he was good with words and great under pressure, but today… Octavian didn’t know why, but they were intimidating, which was ridiculous. They’re just girls, he told himself, but the feeling didn’t dissipate. 

It should have been simple to catch up to them, but it seemed that they were speeding up with every turn and he was trying to keep up without looking out of place to anyone else. Eventually they went somewhere he refused to follow them into - the bathroom. He hung around as inconspicuously as he could manage, waiting. He knew this was absolutely absurd, but he didn’t see any other option, so he waited. When they finally came out, he waited a moment before continuing his pursuit to throw off some suspicion. A minute or two later (he hadn’t been counting the seconds on his watch, not at all) he left but his heart quickly sank. He couldn’t see them anywhere.

He should have just waited by the escalators. He should have said something when they got off, like, “Jason just went to the car but he’ll be back soon.” And what had he done instead? He had hidden. He ran like a coward. Absolutely pathetic. Harboring a renewed sense of self-loathing, he turned around and came face to face with Thalia Grace.


End file.
